(?) Meet Mouse Sikong Again
Whoosh—!
Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
Although he didn't know why that terrifying monkey hadn't simply beaten him to death with a single swing, his opponent hadn't attacked, and he'd gotten his life back for free. So, after standing dazed for a while, sighing over his good fortune, and—rarely—looking back on the distant days when he'd been human, Mouse Sikong finally came to his senses and took off running toward somewhere inside the village.
And soon!
At a checkpoint gate inside the village, he spotted a two-headed rat demon defending the place with several rat archers. The demon had also sent those carrying dragon-bone repeating crossbows up onto the roof of the gatehouse, while it guarded the area below with a few rat guards armed with shields and spears.
"Commandant!"
"What are you doing...?"
Startled, Mouse Sikong hurried over on all fours and asked.
"What else?"
"Of course we're stopping that monkey demon here. The brothers who just fled back told us everything!"
In response to Mouse Sikong's question, one of the two heads of the tall, two-headed rat commandant spoke, then indignantly demanded, "Did you just escape back here, too?"
"What happened to you lot? How did you lose the village entrance?"
"?!"
Before Mouse Sikong could answer, the head suddenly turned and shouted at the five rat archers peeking down from the roof of the gatehouse, and at the rat guards with spears and shields who were trying to crowd closer.
"What're you gawking at?"
"Hurry up and get ready!"
"And you lot, go form up at the front!"
"That monkey could show up any moment!"
At the two-headed rat demon's scolding, the rat archers and guards who'd been hoping to hear what was going on returned to their posts.
"Good grief!"
"Commandant, you're being foolish!"